Why am I smiling at you? Because my life is sooo incredibly perfect. Laugh with me, please. 

That smile should tell you that I didn’t yet know I’d been volunteered to bake three-dozen cupcakes or that my dog was doing a dumpster dive in the kitchen trash. At that moment as far as I knew, every client was happy, there was milk in the fridge and my tank was filled with cheap gas. But, please. It’s a snapshot, not a video. 

None of us are immune to stress. As working parents, we balance bank accounts, client expectations, workloads, crazy schedules and the health of our families… Do your legs ever get tired? Mine do. 

I’m a self-employed single mom of three incredible but imperfect kids, aiming to approach challenges as perspective-builders and potential writing material. Death? Divorce? Career relaunch? Done, done and done. Learning how dramatically Life (or even Tuesday) can shift has taught me the value of flexibility and the necessity of humor, help and humility. 

What do I do between deodorizing shin guards and power grocery shopping? I record voiceovers for radio, TV, eLearning, video and websites. I write for fine companies such as Salary.com. And, I’m also a travel and portrait photographer. Curious? Visit Heather Dugan Creative (www.heatherdugan.com) 

So, what’s it like for you? What are your challenges? Where are your successes? Please write to me with your questions, frustrations and those precious victory moments. (But, if you’re the overachieving room mom who has never been late for soccer pickup, I don’t really want to know unless you’re also volunteering to bake those three-dozen cupcakes).

Email me at heather@heatherdugan.com

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